Morley’s Final Catalogue: This local species has not been observed here since it was bred before 1890 from Erythrasa centaurium by Prof. Henslow. The record is italicised by Bloomfield as doubtful because the larvae may not have originated at Hitcham.

Recent Status: The moth is frequent along the Suffolk coast.

Life Style: The moth is multi-brooded being recordable from May to November. The larvae hibernate. The larvae feed on Centaurium erythraea and Blackstonia perfoliata. They feed by mining leaves and feeding on buds, leaves and flowers.

Identification: This species of Stenoptilia is identified by the ‘saddle’ being wholly white or very pale. The saddle is that upper part of the rear (third segment) of the thorax and anterior part (segment one and two) of the abdomen. However a rare immigrant species, Stenoptilia inopinata, has also been captured in Suffolk and has a whitish saddle. That species has generally uniformly coloured wings except for a particularly large spot at the cleft. Genitalia dissection can distinguish them if necessary. More Info

Recorded in 6 (10%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 2004. Last Recorded in 2020. Additional Stats

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